1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to portable toilets and, more particularly, to portable, disposable devices used to collect urine.
Such devices are more commonly referred to as portable urinals. Portable urinals, generally, are known and come in a variety of sizes and configurations. Clearly, the need for such devices is readily obvious to anyone who has ever had the experience of having a full bladder while being distant from rest room facilities.
Present portable urinals tend to be somewhat expensive to purchase and, therefore, are often reused. Since the cleaning of a portable urinal is not an especially pleasant task, the need to reuse such a device is considered to be a detriment to their sale.
Certain portable urinals which are disposable also tend to be somewhat expensive. Certain others are large and bulky, which increases their visibility and, also, detracts from their ease of portability. To many people, being seen in public with a portable urinal is an embarrassment to be avoided.
Other portable urinals tend to be difficult either to set up for use, to easily expel the urine from the body into the urinal without splash or spillage, or then to seal the device in order to retain the urine safely for disposal later.
Many of the known types of portable urinals do not properly accommodate the unique anatomical requirements of women. Those that do, rely upon contoured anatomical adapters which, typically, are then inserted into the end of a larger container and are used as an entry spout to conduct fluids into the container.
The use of an adapter by a woman is a detriment, since it tends to be rigid and bulky and is difficult to carry about inconspicuously. Furthermore, prior to using a urinal with a female-type adapter, an additional assembly step of having to insert the adapter into the end of a container, is required.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a disposable urinal that is inexpensive to manufacture, portable, easy to use, suitable for use by either gender, and is inconspicuous to carry about.
2. Description of Prior Art
Portable urinals, generally, are known. For example, the following United States patents describe various types of containers that are useful for collecting urine:
______________________________________ 3,329,973 Bobbe July 11, 1967; 3,597,770 Jacuzzi August 10, 1971; 3,600,719 Karr August 24, 1971; 3,629,873 Long December 28, 1971; 3,731,869 Griffin May 8, 1973; 3,746,240 Flynn July 17, 1973; 5,007,116 Yamamoto April 16, 1991; 5,065,459 Tjahaja et al. November 19, 1991. ______________________________________
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.